Addressing and proving machine (semi-automatic).



U. 6. LEE. ADDRESSING AND PROVING MACHINE SEMI-AUTOMATIC).

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, I912.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

. e l M m a W n 8 V w e w 4 w W P 5 W U D m a flaw.

U. 6. LEE.

ADDRESSING AND PROVING MACHINE (SEMI-AUTOMATIC).

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, I912.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

U. 6. LEE. ADDRESSING AND PROVING MACHINE (SEMI-AUTOMATIC) APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,1912.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

U. G. LEE.

PROV NG MACHJNE (SEMI-AUTOMATIC)" ICATIO FILED JULY 9, I912.

ADDRESSING AND APPL d e t n c t H 1 g i 6mg entrain sraras PATENT caries.

ULYSSES G. LEE, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO MONTAGUE MAILING MACHINERY (10., CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

ADIDBESSING- AND PROVING MACHINE (SEMI-AUTOMATIC).

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 19115.

Application filed July 9, 1912. Serial No. 708,518.

zen of the United States, residing at Chattaiiooga, Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Addressing and Proving Machines, (Semi-Auto.

matic,) of which the following is a specification.

. It is one object of my invention to pro.-

vide a machine-for ofiice usein which individual address plates are moved from a hopper to a printing point to make the imhand of the operator during the period when his left hand is employed in taking the addressed matter from the machine and in placing an unaddressed envelop or other matter under the impression head to receive the impression from the address plate.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple form of apparatus associated 'a continuous strip or roll of paper and for controlling the spacing of the addresses upon this strip of paper, and to provide means for re-Winding the paper strip as fast as it is printed.

The address plates which I employ may be of various types, but I prefer to employ those which are used in the Montague system of addressing.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention; looking from the right of Fig. 1;, Fig. 3 is a front view and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken longitudinally of the runwayfor the address plates. Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail view.

The address plates are piled in a hopper Fig. 2 is a side elevation consisting of the uprights 1 at the right of the machine, the left handupright having its wall terminating at 2 to provide an opening through which the lowermost plate of the stack may be moved leftward. Extending in line with this hopper are plates 3 set on edge, these plates constituting the tracks or runways upon which the address plates are moved. These plates are fixed in slots in the bed of the machine, and they are provided w-ithsteps at 4: 5 and 6, each step being downward in relation to the preceding step at the right. The distance between these steps, namely: three and one-half inches, is equal to the length of an address plate, and the step itself or the shoulder provided thereby is one thirty-second of an inch. The upper edge of these rails or plates 3 is indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 4. Adjacent one of these runway rails 3 a feed slide 7 is arranged, this also consisting of a plate set on edge and this plate is movable lengthwise in the groove of the bed which contains the fixed rail 3. This feed slide is similarly stepped or shouldered, and each of these steps is one sixty-fourth of an inch higher than the corresponding step of the rails 3, this relation of the parts being illustrated in Fig. 4: where the feed slide 7 is shown as pushed toward the left. This feed slide is operated by a handle 8 which is screwed to a depending portion 9 of the feed slide, and this handle is in convenient position for operation by the operator. Supposing the feed slide to be at the right hand limit of its stroke, its right hand shoulder will'be in position to engage the right hand edge of the lowermost address plate, and by moving it leftward this plate will be moved from under the stack to a position at the left hand outside of the hopper, and when the feed slide is moved toward the right again, the next address plate, which is now the lowermost one of the stack, will be engaged by the right hand stop or shoulder of the feed slide, the address plate which has already been moved from .the hopper being retained in the position to which it was moved by the shoulders 4 of the fixed runway rails. The movement of the slide toward the right will also have the effect of making the second shoulder on the slide engage the plate firs frame.

mentioned above, which is lying to the left of the hopper, and upon the movement of the slide toward the left this plate will be moved forward another step along the runway toward the printing point, and the second address plate will be moved from the hopper to occupy the first position toward ,the left, and it will be obvious that by mov ing the slide back and forth the address plates will be moved step by step along the runway by the combined action of the pushing shoulders on the feed slide and the retaining shoulders or steps on the runway rails, until finally the plate arrives under the impression mechanism ready to receive the impression, and thereafter at each movement of the slide a new plate will be moved to the impression point and the used plate will be moved away therefrom to be discharged at the left of the machine into any suitable receptacle or hopper indicated generally at 10.

For supplying ink for making the impression, an inking ribbon is employed indicated in dotted lines at 11, Fig. 1, the supply spools being shown at 12 on a shaft 13. The ribbon from one spool runs forwardly through slots 14-, 15, the latter being at an inclination to change the course of the ribbon at a right angle, and thence the ribbon is directed to similar slots 15, 14, and from the latter to the other spool 12. The slots- 14, 15, and 14, 15, are formed in plates 16 which are hinged at 16 to the frame and overlie the runway for the address plates, and thus the ribbon is directed over the address plates as they are positioned at the impression point. As shown, the rearwardly extending portions of the 'ribbon are directed below the paper receiving surface of the table.

The impression pad is shown generally at 17, this being carried by a frame 18 consist ing of the sides 19, the cross bar 20, and the rear eXtensions 21, which are pivotally mounted by a pin or shaft 22 supported in cars 23 of the fixed frame of the machine, the said frame 18 being normally under tension of a spring 24 tending to hold the frame elevated and away from the printing plates. The sides or arms 19 are connected at their front ends by a head 25, and on this head the impression pad 17 is adjustably mounted. A handle 26 connected with the head enables the operator to manipulate the impression At the impression point of the runway for the address plates a retarding roller 27 is located, this being mounted on an arm 28 pivoted to the frame at 29, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, the said arm 28 being under tension of a spring 30 tending to hold the retarding roller in position to engage the address plates, the roller having a beveled edge for this purpose, and the function of this roller is to prevent overthrow of the address plate due to momentum as it is moved by the slide to the impression position. The ribbon spools are adapted to be fixed to the shaft 13 or released therefrom as in ordinary practice, and for accomplishing this I employ a collar 31 splined at-32 to the shaft, and pressed by a nut 33 on the screw threaded end of the shaft, a spring 3% being interposed between the collar and the reel or spool. There may be any suitable means of interlocking between the contacting faces of the nut and the collar 31. By tightening the nut 33 at one spool and 100s ening a similar nut at the other spool, the ribbon will wind onto the tight spool, and thus the ribbon maybe made to move from either spool onto the other. For operating the shaft 13 I employ a pawl 35 pivotally mounted on a lug 36 formed on a portion of the impression frame such as the lug or arm 21, the said pawl engaging a ratchet wheel 37 on the shaft 13, so that each time the impression frame is elevated after an impression the shaft 13 will be moved one step to feed forward a new portion of the ribbon.

In order to properly gage the position of the matter to be addressed, I employ a guide or gage 38 held by the clamp nuts 39 passing through slots 40 in the rearward extensions of the gage plate.

The general operation of the machine as thus far described will, it is thought, be clear. The operator feeds the plates from the hopper beneath the impression pad by operating the stepped or shouldered feed slide 7 back and forth, and this he does with his right hand. The envelop or other mat ter to be addressed is placed by the left hand of the operator against the gage plate 38 and under the impression pad, and the operator, by grasping the handle 26 of the impression head with his right hand, brings down the impression pad to make the impression, and upon releasing the handle 26 the impression head returns to its elevated position. The left hand of the operator is now employed in removing the addressed envelop and in placing in position another envelop to receive the impression.- During the time that his left hand is so engaged he may use his right hand to operate the feed slide 7, thus changing the address plate simultaneously with the changing of the envelop to be addressed.

As before stated. the address plates will be held accurately in position by the frictional engagement therewith of the roller 27. As the plates are moved away from under the impression pad, they will occupy first a position under the left hand ribbon guiding plate 16. and on the next movement they will be discharged into the receptacle at 10. a

At 41 is shown a sliding strip of T-shape having an upturned end at 42. This strip slides beneath the surface plate of the ma chine and it carries a very thin sheet of steel indicated in dotted lines at 43, 43. By pushing rearwardly on the handle portion 42 the thin sheet may be made to cover any desired amount of the address plate from its front edge so as to obliterate this in the printing. A slot is also provided in the rear of the runway in which may be inserted a similar thin sheet metal plate 58 for 0hstructing and preventing the printing of one or more lines at the back portion of the address.' At the rear of the machine a standard 44extends upwardly and supports a trough 45 having adjustable ends 46, as indicated in the plan view. In this trough and between the adjustable ends is placed a roll of a strip of paper upon which the proving up of the address plates is to be done,

which proving up involves feeding the ad I dress plates through the machine and making impressions from these successive plates in proper order on the paper strip, the

course of which is indicated in dotted lines at X in Fig. 2, the'strip, after printing, being wound upon a winding reel or roller 47, which is supported at the upper end of the bracket 44. A ratchet wheel 48 is employed to rotate this roller, the said ratchet wheel having along hub 49 loosely'mounted on the shaft 50. The ratchet wheel is engaged by a toothed' bar 51 held by a spring 52 in engagement with the ratchet, the said bar being pivotally connected with the impression frame at 53, so that as the impression frame is elevated, the toothed bar will turn the ratchet wheel, and as the re-winding roller 47 is mounted on the hub of the ratchet wheel, this roller will be turned to wind the paper strip and bringa fresh portion under the impression pad to receive the im ression,

The re-winding roller. has connect on with the hub of the ratchet by the friction plugs 54. The re-wmding roller is held in any position to which it .lsturned by a detent 55 engaging the ratchet 48. The paper strip, in its course from the roll in the trough 45,

passes over the lower portion 56 of a bent rod 57 which extends through two of the four openings 58 formed in the upwardly extending portions of the sides of the impression frame. This bent rod may be adjusted into either the upper two holes, the middle pair, or the lower pair, thus giving three positions. After passing under the impression pad and thence up in front 'of the impression head, the paper strip passes beneath the upper member of the bent rod 57, and thence to the re-winding roll 47. This bent rod serves as a tension rod for the paper, and the position of the double rod governs the spacing of the addresses on the paper strip. In order to perform thepaper strip is placed in the trough 45 and is threaded through the apparatus along the course above described, and its end is suit= ably attached to the winding roll by anytdesired form ofclip. A plate is now fed to the impression point as in the ordinary-addressing. operation, and the impression head is brought down. As the impression frame descends, the lower member of the bent pin 57 acts as a gage forpulling offa certain amount of paper, that amount depending on the distance of the lower bar of the pin from the center of the shaft of the impression frame. As the impression frame ascends, the slack which was pulled off from the roll by the downward movement of the frame is taken up by the winding roll 47 through the action of the rod 51, and the ratchet 48. If the bent rod is placed'in the two lowest holes, the space between the addresses will be lessened, as. the-radius from the center of the impression shaft is decreased in length, causing less paper to be pulled off from the roll of paper. r The spring pressedroller besides serving to press upon and center the address plate and hold it while being printed, is of importance in a machine in which the address plate feeder is operated by hand, in that the operator can tell when the'address plate arrives about at the impression point and he can thus determine what power need be applied to the operating-handle to move the address plate intoaccurate position. This roller is therefore in the nature of a feeler device, the resistance which it offew to the movement of the address plate being felt at the handle when the operator actuates the plate feeder thereby. It will be oioservedthat this roller 27 is grooved or so formed as to provide a lower flange, which as shown in Fig. 5, will take under the edge of the address plate. I have found that where an index tab is employed this is liable to be extracted by wedging under the roller, if this is formed without the lower flange, but with this flange present the edge of the address plate and the tab will be received in the groove and the lower flange will act like a shield to prevent the'tab from wedging under the roller and being pulled out of place.

The adjustable shields 43 and 58 are of importance particularly in a machine for listing the names of the addressees. In making these lists it is not necessary that all the lines oftype' appearing on the'address plates be impressed on the'listing strip, and those lines which are not to be printed, such as the name of the State or county, may be covered by the. shields. -This will enable a short listing strip to be used with a shorter feed of said strip than would be possible were all the matter appearing on the address plates printed onto the listing strip. In other words, in listing only a part of the address plate is printed and these impressions are made close together.

I claim as my invention 1. An addressing apparatus comprising an impression frame, and an address plate feeder consisting of a reciprocatory stepped feed slide and fixed stepped retainer means, each step of said slide and retainer being in a lower plane than the preceding step, substantially as described.

2. An addressing apparatus comprising an impression frame, and an address plate feeder consisting of a reciprocatory stepped slide and fixed stepped retainer means, the edge and steps of the slide to contact with the address plates being slightly higher in relation to those of the retainer and each step of said slide and retainer being in a lower plane than the preceding step, substantially as described.

3. An addressing apparatus comprising an impression frame, and an address plate feeder consisting of a reciprocatory stepped slide bar integral throughout, and retainer means consisting of a stepped bar also integral throughout, each step being in a lower plane than the preceding step, substantially as described.

4. In combination in an addressing machine, a table having an address plate feeder operating along it in one direction, a hopper for addressing plates at the righthand end of the feeder, an impression arm pivoted to the table in rear of the feeder and having its free end adapted to be drawn forwardly and downwardly in a direction transverse to the feeder, in making the impression, and a handle operating along ahorizontal plane and connected with the address plate feeder for operating the same, a spring for raising the pivoted impression arm, a ribbon spool shaft arranged parallel with the pivot of the impression arm, a connection from, the impression arm for operating the ribbon spool shaft, ribbon spools and means for guiding the ribbon therefrom to the impressiondescribed.

5. In combinationin an addressing machine, a hopper for address plates, a runway leading from the hopper, feed means for moving the address plates along the runway, an impression frame pivotally mounted in rear of the runway, and having an impression pad at its free end, ribbon mechanism, feed means for the ribbon mechanism arranged adjacent the pivoted end of the impression frame, with connections foropcrating the said ribbon mechanism from the impression frame, said operating connection consisting of a pawl at the pivoted end of the impression frame, and a ratchet on the shaft of the ribbon mechanism engaged by said ipawl, substantially as described.

point, substantially as 6. In combination in an addressing machine, an address plate feeder, an impression member having a back and forth movement, means for holding a strip of paper and for guiding it past the impression member, a feeder for the strip, a part of the guide means being located on the impression member-and creating slack in the paper strip to be taken up by the feeder, substantially as described.

7. In combination in an addressing machine, a feeder for address plates, an impression member having back and forth movement, a holder for a roll of paper strip, a guide on the impression member to direct the paper strip along an angular path to the impression point, a feeder for the paper strip, the said guide serving to draw the paper strip between impressions to be taken up by the feeder, substantially as described.

8. In.combination in an addressing machine a. table, 'an impression member consisting of an arm pivoted at one end and carrying an impression head at its other end, means for carrying address plates to the printing point under the impression head, a holder for a paper strip, a feeder for said paper strip, the said impression arm, in its movement and by contactwith the paper strip looped about the same, serving to draw the paper strip from the roll to be taken up by the paper feeder between impressions, substantially as described.

9. In combination in an addressing machine, feeder means for address plates, an impression member having a back and forth movement, and including an impression pad, a holder for a roll of paper strip, a feeder for said paper strip, said impression member engaging the paper strip at a. point be tween the impression pad and the supply roll, and serving to draw the strip'from the roll in the movement of the impression member, substantially as described.

10. In combination in an addressing ma chine, feeder means for address plates, an impression member having a back and forth movement, and including an impression pad, a holder fo r a roll of paper strip, a feeder for said paper strip, said impression member engaging the paper strip at a point be tween the impression pad and the supply roll, and serving to draw the strip from the roll in the movement of the impression member, said feeder being operated from the impression member, substantially as described.

11. In combination in an. addressing machine, a feeder for address plates, an impression member comprising an impression pad, a p-ivotally mounted support therefor, aholder for a supply roll of paper strip, a guide on the pivoted support'of the impression pad to receive the paper strip and serving to draw the paper strip from the roll during the movement of the said pivoted 12. In combination in an addressing machine, a feeder for address plates, a pivotally mounted impression member, ribbon mechanism, a take-up roll for a paper strip,

and connections for operating the ribbon mechanism and the said take-up roll from the movements of the said pivotally mounted impression member, substantially as described.

13. In combination in an addressing machine, an address plate feeder, an impression member having back and forth movement, inking ribbon mechanism, a take-up roll for a paper strip, said inking ribbon mechanism and take-up roll being operated from the movements of the impression member, substantially as described.

14.In combination, an address plate feeder, a swinging impression member, a paper roll holder, a take-up roll for the paper supported independently of the swinging impression member, means for operating the take up roll, an impression pad on the impression member, and guide means on the impression member engaging the paper at a point between the impression pad and the supply roll holder, and engaging the paper between the impression pad and the take-up roll, said paper being drawn from the roll by the swinging movement of the impression member and being taken up by the take up roll, substantially as described.

15. In combination a feeder for address plates, an impression member having back and forth movement, a holder for a roll of paper, a take-up roll, said impression member including an impression pad, a guide on the impression member acting to draw'the paper strip from the roll, said guide being adjustable to vary the amount of paper drawn at each action, substantially as described 16. In an addressing machine, the combination of an address plate feeder, a table.

paper, and an impremion member having a back and forth movement and acting on the paper intermediate of the roll and take up to'draw the paper from the roll as'it advances to the printing point, and means for operating the take up as the impression member moves away from the impression point, substantially as described.

18. In combination in an addressing machine, a table having a runway for address plates, means for feeding the address plates along said runway, an impression member pivotally mounted at one side of the runway and swinging in a direction transversely of the runway, an inking ribbon extending over the runway and having its end portions extending laterally from the runway on the side where the impression member is pivotally mounted, ribbon spools at the ends of the laterally extending'portion of the ribbon and connections for operating the ribbon spools from the pivoted end of the impression member, substantially as described.

19. In combination in an addressing and proving machine, a table, a feeder for individual address plates operating along the table, a hand operable impression arm pivoted in rear of said feeder and having an impression head movable to and from the lmpression point on said tabl'ewhen the impression arm is swung, inking ribbon mechanism, a holder for a paper strip in rear of the impression point and in line there with to permit said strip to be drawn forward over said impression point to beacted on by the said impression head, ribbon, and individual address plate, a take up for the paper strip in rear of the impression point and above the same, permitting said paper strip to be passed under the impression head and thence to the take up for drawing said strip forward by the movement of the impresslon arm, and an operating connection from the hand operated impression arm to the take up, substanti'allyas described.

20. In combination in an addressing machine, animpression arm having an up and down movement and operable manually, inking ribbon mechanism connected to the impression arm and operated thereby between impressions, a hopper for address plates, a feeder for-said address plates, a

handle for operating the feeder, said feeder being operated to'feed plates from the hopper to and past the impression point with- .out afiectingthe inking ribbon mechanism,

and thence rearwardly at both ends, ribbon spools in axial alinement at the rear of the frame and adjacent the pivoted end of the impression arm, connections for operating the ribbon spools from the impression arm, aihopper for address plates at one side of the impression arm on the frame, a receiver for the address plates at the other side of said impression arm, and hand operated beneath the inking ribbon at the impression point, substantially as described.

22. In combination in an addressing machine for handling individual address plates, a table having a runway, with a hopper for printing plates at one end thereof and a receptacle for discharged plates at the other end thereof, means for feeding the plates along the runway, an impression member operating to and from the runway at a point intermediate the hopper and said receptacle, inking ribbon spools at the rear of the table and means for guiding the inking ribbon along the runway and thence rearwardly at its ends along and below the paper receiving surface of the table to the ribbon spools, said rearwardly extending portions of the ribbon being between the hopper and the receptacle, and means for operating the inking ribbon, substantially as described.

'23. In an addressing machine,.an impression head, an inking ribbon, a hopper for individual address plates, a runway for the plates, a hand operated plate feed for moving the address plates along the runway to and past the impression point, and a feeler device to enable the operator through the handle to 'feel.when the address plate has reached the printing point, substantially as described.

24:. In an addressing-machine, an impression head, an inking ribbon, a hopper for individual address plates, a runway for the plates, a hand operated plate feed for moving the address plates along the runway to and'past the impression point, and a feeler device to enable the operator through the handle to feel when the address plate has reached the printing point, said feeler comprising a yielding device adjacent the runway at the impression point to engage the address plates, substantially as described.

25. In combination in an addressing machine, an impression head, a frame, a runway for individual address plates, a feeder for the address plates to move the same along the runway, a feeder for a listing strip, and a shield to cover a part of the characters on the address plates, substantially as described.

26. In combination in an addressing machine, an impression head, a frame, a runway for individual address plates, a feeder for the address plates to move the same along the runway, a feeder for a listing strip, and a shield to cover a part of the characters on the address plates, said shield being adjustable to permit all of the characters on the address plates to be printed, substantially as described.

27. In combination in an addressing machine, a run-way, individual address plates, an impression head, a feeder for moving the address plates along the run-way to the impression point and a spring pressed retarding device near the impression point having a groove to receive the edge of the address plates, the lower flange of said retarding device acting as a shie d to prevent an index tab carried by the address plate from wedging under the roller and being extracted.

28. In combination in a machine for printing from individual printing plates which are longer than wide, a table, a hand operated impression arm pivotally mounted at the rear of the table and adapted to be drawn downwardly and forwardly toward the front edge of the table, and towardthe operator in making an impression, a straight runway for the plates extending along the table. in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the impression arm, an inking ribbon extending at its middle portion lengthwise of the runway over the impression point', the end portions of said ribbon being turned at right angles to the said middle portion and substantiallyv horizontally, and ribbon spools at-the rear of the table adjacent the pivoted end of the impression arm, and means for operating the ribbon spools from the impression arm, substantially as described.

29. In combination in a printing machine, a table having an impression point, an inking ribbon extending across the impression point, ribbonspools, a roller above the table for moving a listing strip over the impression point, individual printing plates, means for feeding the plates to and from theimpression point, and means for initiating the operation of the inking ribbon and the listing strip feed roll consisting of a pivotally mounted hand operated impression arm with connections. therefrom to the inking ribbon spools and the listing roll, substan tially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ULYSSES G. LEE.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MLLBURN, ARTHUR J. PALMER. 

